One of the first things we noticed upon entering the cave was the sheer amount of juiced up weaponry at our disposal. Borderlands has its own embedded software that randomly generates modified weapons from various arms dealers. These arms run the gamut from handguns and assault rifles to shotguns and sniper rifles. Additionally, these weapons have unique properties such as adding fire, electrical, or acid damage. In fact, we never saw the same gun twice during the entire demonstration. According to the devs, right now Borderlands has around 60,000 gun types and will most likely ship with more at release.

Besides the heavy-duty weaponry, players will also gain experience throughout the missions, making Borderlands play like a mix between an FPS and action RPG. From what we can tell so far, Borderlands looks like a very slick and engaging, multiplayer romp. Look for it in stores for PC, 360, and PS3 in Q1 of 2009.

Last but not least, Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization was on display. The folks at Firaxis have taken the core ideas of the old Microprose Colonization title and have re-imagined them by using the Civ IV engine. For all intents and purposes, this new Colonization title is simply Civ IV with a unique thematic bent. In Civ IV: Colonization, players will start out as a staunch European power (English, Dutch, Spanish, or French) seeking riches from the new world. Each European power has special abilities and characteristics that will help you establish your colonies. Gameplay consists of founding cities, managing their growth, establishing trade, getting along (or coping) with the natives, and eventually secure nationhood through a declaration of independence and the successful conclusion of the ensuing war.

Civ IV: Colonization has a random map generator as well as a "The Americas" map to give players loads of replayability. Furthermore, the addition of 52 founding fathers (similar to Great People in Civ IV) rewards players by giving them huge bonuses. Specific Founding Fathers with unique characteristics are produced depending on the player's playing style. That means there is the opportunity to be either more trade oriented or more militaristic. Finding the balance between the two in just 300 turns along with multiplayer sessions and a robust map generator should have you playing the game over and over again. Look for Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization to hit you PC this fall.